Sausage Nduja Pasta (Pasta con Nduja)
Imagine crispy fried sausage with orecchiette pasta in a luxuriously creamy smoky ‘Nduja, mascarpone and tomato sauce - all finished off with plenty of Parmesan. Yum!
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 6 good quality pork sausages casings removed
- Olive oil
- 300 g cherry tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp nduja paste
- 125 g mascarpone
- Fresh basil
- 400 g pasta we used orecchiette but use what you have
- Salt
- Pepper
- Parmesan for grating
Instructions
- In a pan with a drizzle of oil over medium heat, add the sausages and break apart with a wooden spoon into small pieces. To remove the casings, all you have to do is score the skin with a knife and then pull it away. Having the sausages fridge cold makes this easier. Once they are into small pieces, fry until deep golden brown. You want them totally crisp. This will take 10-15 minutes.
- Once crisp, add the cherry tomatoes, tomato paste and nduja paste. Stir and fry for a few mins then add in a good splash of water. Bubble gently for 10 minutes, encouraging the tomatoes to burst by using the back of the wooden spoon and pressing down.
- Meanwhile, get your pasta on to boil in a pot of well seasoned boiling water.
- Once the tomatoes have formed a sauce, add the mascarpone and basil leaves. Add a splash of pasta water as needed to form a smooth and delicious sauce. Then add the cooked pasta, parmesan, more fresh basil and stir together. Add pasta water as needed to make it loose and silky.
- Scoop into bowls and enjoy!
- The video below will help with this recipe.
Video
Notes
Scroll up for a step by step guide on how to make sausage nduja pasta.
To store: any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days.
To reheat: reheat in a pan with a splash of water or cream over medium heat. Keep stirring until piping hot. Otherwise, reheating in the microwave until piping hot works well.
To freeze: I wouldn't freeze this pasta dish as it will defrost grainy.
Make ahead: You can prep the sauce (until the end of step 2) the morning you want to serve it. Cover and refrigerate. When ready, get your sauce back over the heat, get the pasta on to boil and continue from step 3. However, this recipe is so quick and easy, I don't feel like this is necessary and it's best made fresh!
Make it vegetarian-friendly: you can make this Sausage Nduja Pasta (Pasta con Nduja) for veggies by using vegetarian-friendly sausages, swapping the ‘Nduja for a generous pinch of smoked paprika (or using a plant-based version like Belazu Ve-du-ya) and opting for a vegetarian-friendly Parmesan-style hard cheese like Gran Moravia - although a strong Cheddar would work well too.
Sausages: I have used good-quality pork sausages but you can use all sorts of different flavours. You could also use pork mince, make sure you season it well and get it nice and brown and crispy.
Pasta: you can use pretty much any pasta you have in your store cupboards. I feel that small dried pasta works best, such as rigatoni or orrechiette.
Nutrition
Calories: 879kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 103mg | Sodium: 731mg | Potassium: 716mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1001IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 3mg